Operating mechanism for turn-tables.



APPLICATION FILED AUG 22, 1914.

Patented 0013.27, 1914.

JAMES LOWE FILLING, OF ATHOL, MASSACHUSETTS.

OPERATING MECHANISM FORTURN-TABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Diet. 2?, 191 42.

Application filed August 22, 1914. Serial No. 858,114.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES LOWE PILLING, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Athol, in the county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for Turn-v Tables, of which the following is a specification.

Ihis invention relates to that class of operating mechanisms for railway turntable in which the motor or power mechanism is mounted on one end of the turntable and has operative connection with means at the margin of the turntable pit, to effect the required turning movement of the turntable. And the present improvement has for its object to provide a simple and efiicient structural formation and association of parts, wherein a flexible member, disposed near the circular margin of the turntable pit, is engaged by a pulling mechanism on the turntable to afford under tension stress the pull required to move the turntable regardless of load thereon, and with an avoidance of a slippage under excessive loads and consequent inoperativeness, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the acompanying drawings: Figure 1, is a plan view, illustrating the general arrangement of parts in the preferred form of the present invention. Fig. 2, is an enlarged detail section on line 00-50, Fig. 1, of one of the supports or carriers of the present invention. Fig. 3, is a detail plan of a modification.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1' represents an ordinary turntable pit in which a turntable 2, is supported in a revoluble manner by the usual central bearing 8 and marginal circular track 4.

5 designates a supporting frame attached to one end of the" turntable 2, and having suitable bearings for the shaft of a pulling sheave or pulley 6 and for the pair of leader blocks 7, which in the preferred construction are disposed in a plane below that of the winding sheave 6, aforesaid.

8 designates a motor of any usual and suitable type, mounted, on the supporting frame 5, and having gearing connection with the shaft of the winding sheave or pulley 6, aforesaid.

9 designates a flexible member, preferably formed by a wire rope or cable, and supported by means hereinafter described in ad acent relation to the circular wall of the turntable pit l and in operative relation to the winding sheave 6 and leader blocks 7,

aforesaid. In the preferred form of the present invention the flexible member 9 is of an endless type as illustrated in Fig. 1, in that such endless type permits of repeated turnlngs of the turntable 2 in one direction. The scope of the present invention, however embraces a construction in which the flexible member 9 is less than a full circle with each end of said member secured to the bottom of the turntable pit 1 by an anchor bracket or plate 10, as shown in Fig. 3. This last mentioned arrangement is capable of eflective use in places where the turntable is not required to make a full turn.

11 designates a series of supporting shoes or carriers disposed within the turntable pit 1, in spaced relation to each other and to the circular wall of said pit, as illustrated in Fig. 1. In the present improvement the carriers 11 are preferably of the elongated curved form shown and are provided with outwardly opening grooves 12 in which the flexible member 9, aforesaid is received and supported, and a material part of the present improvement consists in the location of the series of carriers 11 in a position inside the path of the leader blocks 7, before described, in order that said leader blocks may pass said carriers without interference. v s

In the preferred construction of the supporting shoes or carriers 11, the bottom of the groove 12 of each shoe or carrier is formed by a pair of gripping jaws 13, pivoted in opposed relation and formed with a single receiving recess in their outer faces as shown. Said receiving recess is of a form corresponding with the cross-section of the flexible member 9, and the construction is such that a pull on the flexible member 9 will move the jaws13 inwardly, to find the same upon the flexible member 9 and prevent slipping of the same through said jaws under the described pulling strain. 1 1 designates a spring associated with the gripping jaws 13, and tending tomove said jaws outwardly, when the same is not forcibly pressed inwardly by a pulling strain on the flexible member 9 in the manner above stated.

In the practical operation of the present the driving periphery of said pulling sheave 6. With an approach of the leader block 7, which is in advance, toward a particular supporting shoe or carrier 11, the flexible connection 9 will be drawn out of the holding groove of said shoe or carrier until the same is passed by the respective leader block 7, after which the flexible connection 9 returns into the groove of the shoe or carrier just described. During such operation the remaining supporting shoes or carriers 11 of the series are in efl'ective holding engagement with the flexible connection 9, to prevent any slippage of the same.

Having thus fully, described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mechanism for operating turntables comprising, a turntable, a flexible member in operative relation to said turntable, a'series of carriers having outwardly disposed holding grooves for said flexible member, a pulling sheave mounted on the turntable and having operative engagement with said flexible member, and means for imparting rotation to said pull-sheave, substantially as set forth.

2. A mechanism for operating turntables comprising, a turntable, a flexible member in operative relation to said turntable, a series of carriers having outwardly disposed holding grooves for said flexible member, a pulling sheave and companion leader blocks mounted on the turntable and having operative engagement with said flexible member, and means for imparting rotation to said pulling sheave, substantially as set forth.

3. A mechanism for operating turntables comprising, a turntable, an endless flexible member in operative relation to said turntable, a'series of carriers having outwardly disposed holding grooves for said flexible member, a pulling sheave mounted on the turntable and having operative engagement with said flexible member, and means for imparting rotation to said pulling sheave, substantially as set forth.

4. A mechanism for operating turntables comprising, a turntable, an endless flexible member in operative relation to said turntable, a series of carriers having outwardly disposed holding grooves for said flexible member, a pulling sheave and companion leader blocks mounted on the turntable and having operative engagement with said flexible member, and, means for imparting rotation to said pulling sheave, substantially as set forth.

5. A mechanism for operating turntables comprising, a turntable, a flexible member in operative relation to said turntable, a series of carriers having outwardly disposed holding grooves for said flexible member, opposed gripping jaws pivoted in the grooves of said carriers, a pulling sheave mounted on the turntable and having operative engagement with said flexible member, and means for imparting rotation to said pulling sheave, substantially as set forth.

6. A mechanism for operating turntables comprising, a turntable, an endless flexible member in operative relation to said turntable, a series of carriers having outwardly disposed holding grooves for said flexible member, opposed gripping jaws pivoted in the grooves of said carriers, a pulling sheave mounted on the turntable and having operative engagement with said flexible member, and means for imparting rotation to said pulling sheave, substantially as set forth.-'-

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 20th day of August, 1914.

- JAMES LOWE FILLING. Witnesses: ROBERT BURNS, IvA L. CRANE. 

